Trace-fastener.



Patented my I6, I90].

T. ATCHASUN. TRACE FASTENEB.

(Apphcauon filed Dec. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

- WITNESSES Men @TaTns PATENT @rrrong THOMAS ATOHASON, OF NElVARK, NEWJERSEY.

TRAC=FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 678,?11, dated July 16,I901.

Application filed December 3, 1900.. Serial No. 38,402. (No modelll Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHOMAS AToHAsoN,a citi zen of the United States,residing at Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey,haveinvented certain new and useful Improve ments in Trace-Fasteners, ofwhich the foL- lowing is a specification. I

My invention relates to trace -fasteners; and the object of it is toprovide a device which shall be simple in construction, dura ble in use,and comparatively inexpensive of production and by means of which allliability of the trace becoming accidentally disengaged is entirelyobviated. With this object in View I provide a trace-fastenerconstructed substantially as hereinafter more fully described andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1is-a plan View of one end of a whifiletree with my improvedtrace-fastener in position and closed on the trace, showing in dottedlines thetrace-fastener disengaged from the trace. Fig. 2 is a side viewof the same, partly in section; I

My improved trace-fastener consists of tw members, lettered,respectively, b and o.

c designates an eccentric lever made from a single piece of Wire ofapproximately triangular shape. The sides of the eccentric lever arebent upward and provided near its base with an eye g. The ends of thelever c are bent inwardly and engage with a bush a. The bush or isdriven in the whiftletree c near its outer extremity and forms thefulcrum for my improved trace-fastener.

b is a yoke also made from a single piece of wire and of an irregularoblong shape, embracing the outer extremity of the tree, the sides ofsaid yoke being turned outward, so as to form a rectangular recess forthe reception of the end of the tracef. The ends of the yoke b are bentinwardly and pass through theeyes g of the lever o.

01 represents a piece of felt, rubber tubing, or other suitable yieldingmaterial secured to the yoke b at its outer extremity and engaging witha notch or groove in the end of the whiffletree to receive the pressureimparted to it by the eccentric lever c and also to prevent it fromslipping.

The mode of operation is as follows: The cockeye of the trace is slippedover the end of the whiffietree while the trace-fastener is in theposition indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The lever c, which carriesthe yoke b, is then pressed toward and against the rear side of thewhiffletree, thus causing the yoke and a yoke made of wire havinginWardlybent ends adapted to pass through the eyes in said lever, andrectangular bent sides to admit of the trace passing through them; thesaid lever by its eccentric action being ad apt ed to draw the said yokeagainst the end of the whiftletree, substantially as described.

2. In a trace-fastener the combination with a lever of wire having eyesin the sides thereof near its base and bent ends forining a fulcrumpivoted to a bush extending through the Whiftletree, of a yoke of wirehaving in-' wardly bent ends and rectangularly bent sides adapted tohold the trace in place and to clasp the said yoke to the whiftletree bythe eccentric action of said lever, substantially as described.

3. In a trace-fastener the lever 0 having eyes 9, and ends bent inwardlypivoted in the bush to extending through the whiflletree, the yoke I)connected with lever c at the eyes 9 and cushion 01 adapted to cooperateto clasp the trace f and hold it securely in place upon the whiflietree,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof LTHoMAs ATCHASON, have signed my name to thisspecification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 30thday of November, 1900.

THOMAS .ATOIIASON.

Witnesses:

HARRY G. WAL rnRs, Tnos. E. IIELM.

